Rare Earth
by DownToTheSea
Summary: Only a few days before Tutankhamun's tomb is opened, Helen returns from Cairo to find Nikola waiting for her.


**_November 22, 1922._**

Standing on the wide, well-traveled path that led to the dig, Helen squinted against the sun and the sand swirling through the air into her eyes. While the wind was not as fierce today as some she'd weathered in England, it was unusually strong for this time of year in Egypt. One hand was clapped to her head, keeping her wide-brimmed hat secure from its force, but the brightness beating down from the clear blue desert sky would not be defeated quite so easily.

It reflected off the sand into Helen's eyes no matter how much she shaded them, undimmed by the large crowd of people milling about on the ground. The area bustled with activity, curious spectators along with workers.

There was a ripple of excitement in the air – they were only a few days away from taking the first steps to open the lost tomb of Tutankhamun. When Nikola had first proposed they join the expedition, Helen had never expected a discovery like this, though she had enthusiastically agreed to come anyway. At the very least, she had expected an adventure, and it had certainly delivered. And after the war, the idea of some time spent away sounded peaceful.

Helen started down the path, the rocky sand crunching under her shoes. Before she could get very far, though, an exultant cry rang through the air.

"Helen!"

Her head turned towards the sound. Nikola was sprinting towards her across the sand, and she could see the wide grin on his face even from a distance. He had been hidden from her view earlier by a curve of one of the hills; he must have just spotted her, though she couldn't fathom what he had been doing so far away from the dig.

He arrived a few seconds later, skidding to a halt and kicking up a small dust cloud just short of her. He wasn't out of breath; despite his pace, Helen knew he was capable of much more.

Since gaining his electrical powers, Nikola had had great difficulty keeping his hair combed down neatly, and the engrossing work lately had kept his attention focused elsewhere. Between that and the speed of his impetuous run to her, it now looked not unlike he had just gotten out of bed after a particularly restless night. That was a sight with which Helen was comfortably familiar, and though she would never have uttered the words out loud, she found it rather captivating.

"You're back!" His grin was even more infectious close up, but his exuberance was quickly overtaken by an exaggerated pout.

"Finally," he added. "I've been watching for you all morning." So that was why he hadn't been close to the dig. Helen wondered if he had bothered making any explanations or if he had simply left. Knowing Nikola, probably the latter. She smiled as he went on.

"Running off to Cairo with Carter and leaving me behind. All alone – " this in a tone of forlorn distress – "I haven't had a real conversation in _days_."

"Ah, the terrible woe of genius," Helen said. "What about Callender?"

Nikola waved a hand dismissively, which Helen didn't take as an insult to Arthur Callender, though that gentleman might not have shared her opinion if he had been present. Nikola dismissed nearly everyone except Helen as less intelligent than himself.

"Ehh," was his succinct opinion. "Besides, he only got back yesterday. And you know that he has consulted me exactly _once_ about the electric light installation we're supposed to be getting ready," he added mournfully.

"I wouldn't worry about it, Nikola," Helen said. "We may have found the tomb, but our work is nowhere near completion. We'll all need assistance. Callender will come around."

This brightened Nikola up, as Helen had known it would. Even a chip in his considerable pride wasn't enough to discourage him from the sheer wonder of their discovery. She had only needed to remind him of it.

"Well, and did you have a productive time in Cairo?" he asked, moving to the side as she began walking down the slope again. He took her arm as she passed, giving a contented little sigh as she tucked her hand into his elbow. Though her eyes were focused on the dig, Helen could feel Nikola's other hand sliding over hers a moment later. She smiled slightly.

"Yes, actually," she replied. "I've made a few contacts I believe will be invaluable in establishing a Sanctuary here."

"Excellent," he said.

"I only wish I knew more about the abnormals in this region," she continued. "I spent a good deal of my time in Cairo searching for someone who could help me, but I've not had any luck so far."

"Mmm, speaking of that," Nikola said. "Our little friend from earlier persists in following me everywhere I go."

"Is that so?" Helen asked, her smile growing even wider.

A few weeks ago, while the excavation was clearing the bedrock, a small nest of ground-dwelling abnormals had been disturbed, some of them injured. They resembled giant beetles, although they seemed to have some form of energy powers – not only the ability to generate it but to sense it, given the way they flocked to Nikola.

Helen had fixed them all up with Nikola assisting her, but one, the smallest, had gotten quite attached to them and refused to leave with the others to build a new nest. It now hung around them almost constantly, occasionally bringing them gifts of small rocks or pieces of pottery it had stolen from the dig.

Nikola pretended to be annoyed by the incessant attention, but Helen wasn't fooled; he had gotten just as attached to it as it had to him.

He proved it with his next words. "You know," he said casually, "he's been acting a little odd the last few days. You might want to have a look tonight."

"Why not now?" Helen asked. "I need to go up to the house at any rate, to change into something I can work in."

"Ah, yes," Nikola murmured. "Like any help with that?"

She turned her face to his, but only smirked. Ignoring the dazed way his eyes lingered on her, she tugged him along the path.

* * *

The little abnormal scurried to meet them as soon as they set foot inside their small room. Helen was still blinking the sun out of her eyes – even the pale walls were a relief compared to outdoors – and before she could react, Nikola bent down and scooped it up into his arms.

"Hello," he crooned. It nuzzled affectionately at his hand. "Hmm, and what have you been up to? Something bothersome, I'm sure." In spite of this, he proceeded to tickle it in a very undignified fashion.

"I still have to come up with a name for you," he said to it. "Now that Helen has returned to us, maybe she can – "

Nikola looked over and caught Helen staring open-mouthed at him. "What?" he asked.

"Nothing," Helen said, closing her mouth and concealing her amusement with difficulty. "By all means, don't stop on my account."

As humorous as the situation was, Helen felt an uncharacteristically sentimental tug somewhere in her chest. Nikola was far better at this sort of thing than he often appeared. It was at times like these that Helen found herself wishing he might someday join her full time in her work at the Sanctuary.

Only because he would be a valuable addition to her team, of course.

"I must say," she said as Nikola continued talking softly to it, "he seems quite recovered now."

He hummed in an absent way that Helen took to signify agreement. "Perhaps he just missed you," he suggested, looking up at her and raising his eyebrows.

"Perhaps he's not the only one," she said, her mouth quirking as she met his eyes.

They held each other's gaze for a moment. That brilliant, mischievous, and at times infuriating sparkle was in his eyes; even after a short absence, Helen drank it in.

Abruptly, the small creature in Nikola's arms jumped away and landed on the dusty floor with a light thud before hurrying away.

"I believe he may know us a little too well," Nikola said after a pause.

Helen chuckled. "Indeed." She walked over to Nikola, and ran a hand lightly over his shoulder. His lips parted slightly.

"You know," Helen said, brushing her thumb along his lapel, "it occurs to me…" She gripped his tie. "What with Carter offering to put up Lord Carnarvon here when he arrives…"

"Yes?" Nikola asked, smiling.

"It could get rather crowded," Helen pointed out.

"Could it?" he asked innocently. "Why, Helen, I have no idea what you're implying."

"I'm implying," Helen breathed, leaning closer to him. "Perhaps we should use this time wisely."

"Wisely," Nikola repeated in a whisper, closing even more distance between them. "What did you have in mi- "

It was at that moment that the huge brim of her hat struck him lightly but squarely in the head.

Both of them blinked for a moment before Helen burst out laughing.

"Your hat is acting in a very unfair manner, my dear," Nikola said after a second, though a rogue dimple betrayed him. "I was only trying to kiss you."

"Only?" Helen asked, grinning. "Very disappointing." She swept her hat off, and, still holding it, wound her arm around Nikola, pulling him to her and crushing her lips against his.

She soon determined that Nikola's tousled hair was of greater importance than her wayward hat, which was dropped almost at once upon the floor. It was later joined by sundry other items; Helen afterwards considered the afternoon to be, on the whole, quite well spent.


End file.
